Category: CLINICAL NOTES
Introduction to Learning and Vision Therapy: Principles Part IX
Part IX – Assessing and Managing Vision Introduction As a rule, all children should be checked for possible visual impediments during Kindergarten in preparation for formal reading instruction. Visual Impediments to Learning (VIL) are the most common undetected cause of apparent learning and reading difficulties. VIL even affect children who are apparently good learners, and…
Introduction to Learning and Vision Therapy: Principles Part VIII
Neurosensory Integration and the Visual Hierarchy Introduction “It has not been easy for the helping professions to conceive of human behavior as an expression of the brain, and they are still struggling to do so… The employing of neural mechanisms to enhance motor development is now well established; the current area of major growth and…
Syntonics – Introduction
I’d been critical of the practice and ‘science’ of what behavioural optometrists call ‘Syntonics’ or ‘Optometric Phototherapy’ for some time, now, concerned even. These concerns of pseudoscience and malpractice have led me to speak out against its practice in a professional clinical context. Because of that, I was removed from the ‘VTODs on FaceBook’ group…
Introduction to Learning and Vision Therapy: Clinically Speaking Part II
Measuring Vision in the Classroom The Need for a Common Standard Research in optometry and medicine has shown that the only way to determine whether a child has a sufficiently robust visual foundation is to assess very specific elements of visual health and function that represent potential obstacles to reading, and by extension, learning. The…
Introduction to Learning and Vision Therapy: Principles Part VII
Defining Learning and Vision Therapy Optometric Vision Therapy / Visual Neuro-rehabilitation From Leonard Press “Applied Concepts in Vision Therapy”, (OEP Foundation www.oepf.org and through online retailers) “Optometric vision therapy (OVT) can be defined as the art and science of developing visual abilities to achieve optimal visual performance and comfort. During VT, patients gain greater understanding…
Introduction to Learning and Vision Therapy: Principles Part V
Visual Impediments to Learning The following is an article summarizing concerns with visual impediments to learning. The text was prepared by Dr. Charles Boulet (Education, Developmental Optometry) and Dr. Noëlla Piquette (PhD Psychology, Associate Professor, University of Lethbridge). The paper outlines the nature of the problem, and how unchecked vision has far reaching consequences on…
Introduction to Learning and Vision Therapy: Principles Part VI
DOMD and FOMD Introduction For the purposes of this discussion, fine visuomotor control problems will be classified under two categories, developmental or functional. As a result, they are sometimes referred to as DOMD (Developmental Oculomotor Dysfunction), or FOMD (Functional Oculomotor Dysfunction), respectively. In either case, they are a reflection of a child’s (client’s) deficient level…
Introduction to Learning and Vision Therapy: Principles Part III
Defining Vision II This section continues from the previous discussions of visual anatomy and signal acquisition skills and abilities. First, we will look at Visual Signal Processing (Visual Information Processing, or simply Visual Perception) and see how once a signal is captured, it undergoes ‘parallel streamed’ processing in cortical and subcortical areas of the brain….
Introduction to Learning and Vision Therapy: Principles Part IV
Refractive Errors and Glasses Prescriptions Eyesight Vs. Vision – A Behavioural Perspective To finish this introduction to vision, we will revisit the difference between eyesight and vision, and review basics of refractive error. This time, we’ll look at these conditions in a little more depth, and from primarily a behavioural perspective. Refractive error creates a…
Introduction to Learning and Vision Therapy: Principles Part II
Defining Vision Human Visual Development Review these brief notes on visual development before continuing: Click (opens new page). Elements of Vision Vision sits atop the developmental heap as the leader in efficiency in acquisition of information from the environment. We all share this ability: To scan the environment (provided our visual system is healthy) and…